4 Signs That Dating’s Changed Since Mom Met Dad

Dating in 2017 is a lot different from when our parents were doing it. Back then, you know what it meant when a couple said they were "going steady" or "courting". But now, daters are "ghosting", "benching", "breezing", even "zombie-ing"? If you're getting lost in the sea of fish and dating classifications, don't worry. Lindsey Granger and relationship expert Michael Banovac are hooking you up with 3 new ways the kids are explaining their dating.

1. Zombie-Ing

When you think about your dating life you might remember that one person you talked to for a while, started dating, but then you two went your separate ways, and you were cool with that. But then, months later, while you're doing your own thing, that "special someone" texts or messages themself back into your life, trying to re-animate that relationship like Frankenstein. Gross.

This is called "Zombie-ing" and, according to relationship experts, someone who does this is probably sporadic with their communication in general, if they aren't just particularly lonely when they reach out to you…

If you think this person is for you, you might want to think again. Remember, if someone is really into you, they'll let you know and won't just disappear – no matter what your desperate, forever-single friend says.

2. Breadcrumbing

We've all had that one crush that we really liked and wanted to notice us, but we didn't want to be too "weird." We'll "like" their statuses and pictures on Facebook, flirt with them at parties and group outings, even send them cute gifs we think they'll like with a note that says "lol thinking of you!" But month after month we wonder, "Why haven't they asked me out yet? I'm clearly interested."

*Brake noise* Stop right there. You're guilty of "breadcrumbing". That's when you intentionally try to stay on someone's radar in the hopes that they ask you out, with no intention of asking them out yourself. But you don't get anything you don't work for, right? No one likes getting rejected, but, we promise, it's not that bad. It stings for a day and then it's on to the next one.

Besides, showing up somewhere just because you think your crush will be there isn't romantic – it's kind of creepy…

3. Breezing

Not all the the newest kinds of dating are negative. If you've met someone new, like hanging out with them, and don't worry about who should ask whom out first or what it means when who opens the door for who(m?), then you're "breezing". This means you're just having fun seeing where you and your new beau's relationship goes.

This is the dating style of someone who's got their own life and their own stuff going on. You're confident enough to ask them out but aren't concerned if they don't get back to you in 10 minutes or less; and if you do hang out with them and things are going great, you don't overthink it too much. And we should all be "breezy" daters. You're too rad to worry about if someone realizes how great you are, anyway, 'cause you already know.

4. Cuffing Season

When it starts getting chilly outs and Thanksgiving and Christmas music starts playing in supermarkets, singles start looking for someone to keep them warm and that's the magic of "Cuffing season". This is the time of year where people tend to stop thinking about their very high standards and start thinking about who they can snuggle with to watch holiday movie reruns.

But don't let the Hollywood-brand romance and holiday lovefests sway you! Settling just so you can cuddle means you aren't thinking about what's best for you – you're thinking about what's best right now. But you'll never find "the one" if you keep interrupting your search for them with "the placeholder".

So stay strong, every season long, and soon, you might even find someone that likes wearing holiday socks while sipping hot cocoa as much as you do.

How did you and your current partner meet – through an app, a friend, a random meeting? Tell us your love story on our Facebook page, @TheListShowTV.

Web Bonus: Learn more about the dating terms you didn't know existed with this humorous list by OKCupid